Charlton 0-0 MK Dons: The 10-man hosts waste chance to secure maximum points against fellow relegation rivals at The Valley

Charlton drew a blank as they took on fellow league strugglers MK Dons
There were limited chances for either side at the Valley on Tuesday night
Win would have helped Charlton close gap on their Championship rivals
Charlton also lost striker Yaya Sanogo to a red card deep into injury time

Published:
21:44 GMT, 8 March 2016

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Updated:
22:04 GMT, 8 March 2016

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Charlton wasted the chance to revive their fight against relegation from the Championship in a scrappy goalless draw with fellow strugglers MK Dons.

Jose Riga’s side could have cut the gap between themselves and fourth-bottom Dons to four points with a win but a lack of quality cost them a shot at blowing open the battle at the bottom.

Arsenal loanee Yaya Sanogo was sent off in six minutes into second-half stoppage time to further compound the misery engulfing The Valley, which has gone four months without witnessing a home win.

Mk Dons’ Darren Potter shields the ball as Charlton’s Yun Suk-young closes him down at the Valley

Arsenal loanee Yaya Sanogo was sent off in six minutes into second-half stoppage time

Sanogo faces a three-match ban which will further damages his loan club’s hopes of staving off the drop

MATCH FACTS

Charlton (4-4-2): Pope; Motta, Fanni, Teixeira, Fox; Gudmundsson, Cousins, Poyet (Bergdich 72mins), Suk-Young; Harriott (Sanogo 58), Makienok.

Unused subs: Mitov, Ghoochannejhad, Holmes-Dennis, Johnson, Lookman.

Manager: Jose Riga.

MK Dons (4-2-3-1): Martin; Baldock, McFadzean, Kay, Lewington; Potter, Carruthers; Bowditch (Reeves 61), WIlliams (Hall 54), Murphy; Maynard (Revell 69).

Unused subs: Cropper, Spence, Emmanuel-Thomas, Powell.

Manager: Karl Robinson.

Booked: Bowditch

Sent off: Yaya Sanogo

The young forward faces a three-match ban which will further damages his loan club’s hopes of staving off the drop to League One for next season.

Aside from Sanogo’s stupidity there was little to talk about from either side, though the visitors had the best of the game’s opportunities and failed to capitalise.

The first half was particularly short on quality with neither goalkeeper was truly tested.

Dean Bowditch was at the heart of the Dons’ best moves and his work to cut out a poor pass inside two minutes set up Nicky Maynard in some space to shoot straight at Nick Pope before Josh Murphy similarly aimed a tame shot at goal six minutes later.

Charlton began to make their own forays forward but all-too-often passes were sent astray or final balls were overhit with Simon Makienok and Callum Harriott starved of service.

Johann Gudmundsson almost capitalised on Antony Kay’s hesitation to poke at goal only to be halted by the alert David Martin after Murphy had curled wide for the visitors on the half-hour mark.

Johann Gudhmundsson is put under pressure by Potter as both sides look to secure maximum points

MK Dons goalkeeper, David Martin, blocks the path of Charlton’s Gudmundsson during the fixture

Former West Ham youngster Rob Hall takes aim at goal as he looks to give his side the lead

Bowditch then blazed over after being threaded in behind the defence by Samir Carruthers before the teams went in goalless. The second period was equally fruitless.

Bowditch, on a yellow card, had to be replaced for his own good after a couple of risky challenges and a warning.

Dons substitute Rob Hall produced the outstanding moment with a low left-foot blast that had to be tipped round the post by Pope, shortly after Charlton captain Jordan Cousins had curled wide from range.

Rod Fanni makes no mistake as he cleats the ball under pressure from Nicky Maynard in south London

Samir Carruthers (right) turns on the pace as he looks to escape the attentions of Callum Harriott

Ademola Lookman and Sanogo came on for the Addicks and could have transformed their fortunes with a couple of good chances wasted late on.

Lookman was a constant threat down the left and set up the best of his side’s opportunities of the entire evening, while Sanogo should have perhaps scored with a missed near-post flick.

That was all before his moment of madness though, the Frenchman swinging an elbow at Antony Kay off the ball for which he was deservedly sent off.